Airbnb’s Proposed Tax Agreements With Cities Raise More Questions Than Answers
Photo Credit: An Airbnb listing in San Francisco. Airbnb
Skift Take
Airbnb is doing all it can to become legalized in cities like New York and Los Angeles by saying it'll pay occupancy taxes, just like hotels do. But if you look at the math and the overall economic impact, is that money really enough to have a positive net impact on those cities?
Of the only two certainties in life — death and taxes — Airbnb is hoping that the latter will help them stay alive and legally thrive in cities around the world.
In cities across the U.S., especially, Airbnb's strategy toward the path of legalization is to pay taxes, or help its hosts pay the appropriate taxes owed to local city, county, and state governments.
This seems like a simple, straightforward enough approach. Airbnb seems to be saying to local cities, "We want to pay taxes; we want to give back to the local communities and pay our taxes, just like hotels do."
And if you're a city, why wouldn't you want that additional tax revenue? Every little bit helps, doesn't it?
This is why Airbnb sent Chris Lehane, its global head of public policy, to meet with hundreds of American mayors in January at the U.S. Conference of Mayors. There, Lehane made his plea to mayors, saying that if the 50 biggest cities in the U.S. were to team up with Airbnb to collect taxes, they cou
